At Standard Fare in West Berkeley, Chef Kelsie Kerr serves up inventive, seasonal breakfast and lunch fare, including inventive sandwiches and delectable pastries.
"Standard Fare is a Berkeley insider favorite; it’s a bit off the beaten path but manages to lure in locals on a steady basis. The restaurant’s highly seasonal fare from chef Kelsie Kerr is the draw here. Diners can’t go wrong with the frittata, which comes with an assortment of vegetables, or the oft-rotating selection of salads and sandwiches. The restaurant also expanded to include dinner, with a rotating menu that shifts with the seasons." - Dianne de Guzman
"Perhaps best known for its weekday focaccia sandwich brown bag lunches, Chez Panisse alum Kelsie Kerr’s West Berkeley breakfast and lunch spot also serves a mean Saturday brunch. The menu changes every day, but keep an eye out for sticky buns, sourdough waffles, and picture-perfect fried eggs." - Dianne de Guzman, Lauren Saria
"The whole hyper-seasonal California thing can feel rote and overdone (we've had too many rapini, sunchoke, or goat cheese-topped tartines and pizzas to count). Thankfully, this is never the case at Standard Fare in West Berkeley. The food at this breakfast/lunch spot from a Chez Panisse alum tastes exciting and new every time thanks to a menu that changes daily (lunch is typically a vegetarian sandwich, a meat sandwich, salad versions of each, and a special of the day). Another reason is the ingredients, from rockfish and turnips to spiced sausage and fennel, that are the most impeccable, freshest versions of themselves—and simply done to maximize flavor. Order a cappuccino to go with everything, and then grab a seat inside or on the shaded patio out front." - Lani Conway
"Berkeley’s Standard Fare is best known for its lunchtime salads and weekend brunch, but now the 10-year-old business is getting a refresh. Owner Kelsie Kerr announced in a recent newsletter that the restaurant will get a “beautification update” from May 7 to 9, during which Standard Fare will close. Then the restaurant will add dinner to its offerings in late May. The start date for dinner service has yet to be announced, but the planned hours are from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. (And yes, breakfast, lunch, and brunch will continue.)" - Dianne de Guzman
"The whole hyper-seasonal California thing can feel rote and overdone (we've had too many rapini, sunchoke, or goat cheese-topped tartines and pizzas to count). Thankfully, this is never the case at Standard Fare in West Berkeley. The food at this breakfast/lunch spot from a Chez Panisse alum tastes exciting and new every time thanks to a menu that changes daily (lunch is typically a vegetarian sandwich, a meat sandwich, salad versions of each, and a special of the day). Another reason is the ingredients, from rockfish and turnips to spiced sausage and fennel, are the most impeccable, freshest versions of themselves—and simply done to maximize flavor. Order a cappuccino to go with everything, and then grab a seat on the shaded patio out front. " - Julia Chen 1, Lani Conway
